NCERT Class 8 Social Science Exploring Society India and Beyond Part 2 Chapter 08 Cultural Currents 13th to 17th Centuries PDF Download

Chapter 8: Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.

- Mahatma Gandhi

The Big Questions

1. How did Indian culture endure and continue to grow richer during this period despite invasions and an unstable political context?
2. What were the major cultural trends and movements of the time?
3. How did the various cultural currents of this period interact and mingle?

[Figure 8.1: (1) 14th century fresco, Udaipur City Palace (2) Sculpture from the 13th century Ramappa Temple, Telangana. (3) Jahangir with a Sufi saint (4) Chewing betel - a painting from Ni'matnama, a 15th century cookbook, See in your textbook]

Culture refers to the shared way of life that defines a group of people, and is often passed down through generations, shaping how people in a society see the world, interact with each other, and conduct their daily lives. Thus, culture includes values, morals, customs, and traditions, as well as art, music, literature, philosophy, and science.

Indian culture is among the most ancient in the world, having developed over millennia, including its languages, literature, art, food, architecture, knowledge systems, and values. While most ancient cultures, such as those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome, were diluted or even destroyed over time, Indian culture has stood strong through the ages and remains alive and strong today. It has been one of the most resilient cultures because of its deep roots, timeless values, scientific temper, and rich philosophical and artistic traditions.

Indian culture has thus endured even in times of political instability and invasions. The culture of India has always been open to, and has adopted, or adapted the best of external cultural currents. At the same time, it has deeply influenced the cultures of the rest of the world through its arts, science, and philosophy.

Indeed, India has had various visitors from ancient times - merchants and traders, knowledge-seekers and scholars, diplomats and people persecuted in their homeland - all of whom brought with them their own cultures. They came from Greece, Persia, Central Asia, East Asia and beyond, carrying with them their social norms, cuisine, food habits, fashion, jewellery, art, language, literature, religion, festivals, and more. India had welcomed them, and they had also assimilated into Indian society benefiting both.

Teacher's Note

Remember that Indian culture is described as "resilient" because it could adapt and absorb new influences while keeping its core identity strong. This is key to understanding why India's culture survived invasions and political changes when many other ancient cultures did not. When you study the 13th to 17th centuries, look for examples of this two-way exchange - how India took in new ideas but also shared its own.

However, a new chapter in India's history began in the early 13th century. As we saw earlier (in the chapter 2 'Reshaping of India's Political Map' in Grade 8 Part 1), for several centuries, India came under the influence of rulers who brought with them new and differing political ideas, administrative systems, art and architectural styles, religious beliefs, and a different worldview.

[Figure 8.2: An artist's impression of Megasthenes, the Greek scholar who visited India in the 4th century BCE, See in your textbook]

This chapter surveys some of the cultural developments that occurred during the 13th to 17th centuries. In a vast and diverse country like India, it would be quite impossible to be comprehensive, so we offer a few vignettes that provide a broad picture of the cultural currents, continuity, and changes witnessed during this period.

Throughout this turbulent period, we notice some common patterns:

1. continuation of traditional practices in Indian communities;
2. patronage from rulers of various backgrounds in the arts, languages, literature, and philosophy; and
3. active participation by people across all sections of society.

While political instability created disruptions during this period, Indian culture continued to grow ever richer and proved remarkably strong and adaptable.

Developments took place across various dimensions - visual art and architecture, music and dance, language and literature, science and mathematics, as well as philosophy. In addition, under the patronage of the ruling Muslim class in several parts, it was but natural that Persian and Arabic influences would be witnessed in various aspects of the local culture, often creating new art forms.

[Figure 8.3: Arab merchants and traders visited India to buy spices and other goods, See in your textbook]

Teacher's Note

Pay attention to the three common patterns listed in this section - they appear in many exam questions about this period. The idea is that despite political upheaval, ordinary cultural life went on, rulers supported artists and scholars, and ordinary people participated too. This helps explain why so much art, literature, and learning survived and flourished even when governments changed.

Key Points

• Indian culture has survived and remained strong through the ages because it is resilient, open to learning from visitors, and has deep philosophical and artistic roots.
• From the 13th to 17th centuries, India experienced new political rulers who brought different ideas and styles, but Indian communities continued their own traditions at the same time.
• Even during times of political instability, culture grew richer because rulers from different backgrounds supported art, literature, and philosophy, and ordinary people from all parts of society took part in cultural life.
• When Persian and Arabic influences mixed with Indian culture under Muslim rulers, new and unique art forms emerged that combined both traditions.

This is a preview of the first 3 pages. To get the complete chapter, click below.